This summer I have been on the look-out for snacks I can serve up mid-day in the upcoming homeschool year. I figure if a snack can pass muster in the Summer months, it can be added to the list. Obviously, these sought after snacks have to meet with both mine and my kids’ approval.

I prefer organic snacks and want to avoid unnecessary refined sugar, saturated fats and preservatives. In other words, I want REAL, healthy, tasty snacks. My kids, on the other hand, are primarily concerned about one thing…taste. I can hardly fault them for that, but it does make my job considerably more difficult.

And?
They are tired of celery and peanut butter; Emelie especially — she says celery tastes like a “stick of floss”.

And?
Whatever we find needs to not break the bank. Why does healthy typically have to equate to expensive?

And?
I would prefer to find it in my local grocery stores (Kroger, Brookshire’s, HEB, and if all else fails, Wal-mart) or easily order it online.

With all this in mind, when given the opportunity to sample HALO Bars, the newest PROBAR creation, I was really excited. Unlike PROBAR, these are NOT meal replacements — they are intended as a “between meals” snack. Most specifically, a candy bar alternative.

Debuted at the 2011 Expo West Trade Show, HALO received “Best New Vegan Product” by VegNews, the premier vegetarian lifestyle magazine. I’m not vegan and I’m not vegetarian, but I thought some of you might be impressed by that bit of information.

Are ya?

Unfortunately, HALO Bars are not available in our local stores yet; though I have put in a request at our local Kroger. As a result, we had a few days to wait for them to arrive in the mail. In the meantime I began to read more about them.

Made with natural, certified organic, whole food ingredients, HALO Bars are free of preservatives and refined sugar, with only 150 calories.

HALO Bars are available in four flavors; S’mores, Nutty Marshmallow, Rocky Road and Honey Graham.

When the HALO Bars first arrived my girls were out of town, so Kenny and his friend Austin were my first guinea pigs.

Just in from a morning’s swim, the boys were ravenous. They both selected the Nutty Marshmallow to sample.

Does your son make faces when he eats?
Growls?
Burps?
No?

Okay, moving on.

The verdict? Both boys LOVED the Nutty Marshmallow. Austin spent the night with us so I later let them try two other flavors, Rocky Road and S’mores. Big hit across the line with all three flavors.

With a case of a dozen bars, we spread them out over a week, giving everyone a chance to sample them. Emelie took the Honey Graham bar to the movie theater. Jeff tried a Rocky Road after mowing the yard, my Mother took home a S’mores bar for an afternoon snack…let’s just say these bars? …they got around!

Yesterday, we finished off the last two HALO Bars after another morning at the pool. Meredith and her cousin, Olivia, split a S’mores and Nutty Marshmallow.

Meredith was skeptical. She has the biggest sweet tooth in the house — a very refined sweet tooth, I might add. The S’mores were a hit! She lamented missing the Rocky Road, but there are cases of Rocky Road in our future, so there were no worries there.

Olivia, as you can see, was all smiles over the S’mores flavor too.

I waited until all the HALO Bars were gone to let the kids know that the tasty bars they consumed were HEALTHY, plant-based food bars. In fact, all the HALO Bars are 100% vegan, a good source of Omega 3 & 6, as well as 100% dairy free for those parents with lactose intolerant children.

Nutritional Comparison

While an average candy bar is composed of “filler” ingredients such as high saturated fats and high sugar content, HALO Bars are lower in both fat and sugar. HALO Bars use Brown Rice Syrup, as opposed to corn syrup, for sweetening. This is important to me because of the difference in the glycemic value of these two ingredients.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, while a cheap filler, burns high on the glycemic index so the sugar is immediately metabolized by the body; this results in a sugar spike followed by a crash. I do NOT want a crash in the middle of my kids’ school day. It leaves them hungry and moody.

Brown Rice Syrup has a low glycemic value, does not cause a spike in blood sugar and takes 1 1/2 to 3 hours to metabolize. This means my kids get a steady supply of energy instead of a rollercoaster ride.

HALO Bars also do not contain the partially hydrogenated oils found in most candy bars; these oils keep the body from properly utilizing good fats and nutrients, as well as prevent the absorption of vitamins and the essential fatty acids.

All the ingredients found in HALO Bars exist in nature. For instance, Flax Seed and Hemp Seed, which are rich in the fatty acids known to protect our bodies against heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Personal Preference

I am traditionally not a fan of meal-replacement bars, so I have never sampled a PROBAR. Without the catchy flavors I might not have been interested in HALO Bars either, but since I was looking for a type of “candy bar” replacement for my kids, these truly did jump out at me as a possible alternative.

Our family likes — as in, will continue to purchase and consume — Rocky Road, S’Mores and Nutty Marshmallow. Rocky Road takes a firm lead. However, no one would finish the Honey Graham. It was a “no-go” across the board.

The HALO Bars are blended, not baked, which attributes to the difference in texture. Jeff pointed out that anyone with “texture” issues with their food might not prefer them. My kids did not bring up any issues about texture, so it doesn’t appear to be an issue for us.

The bars ARE proportionally smaller than a candy bar, but they are nutrition dense and filling.

If you would like to watch the HALO Bars Taste Test Reactions at the Natural Foods Expo West 2011, click here. Naturally, the company isn’t going to release a film showing negative reactions, but the video gives a snippet of information about the inception of HALO Bars and the company’s personal conviction about overall healthy foods.

If you, like me, are always on the look-out for healthy snack alternatives that won’t muck-up the school day, answer the following question in the comments for your chance!

Comments will stay open until tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight (CST).
Five winners will be selected from the comments, utilizing the “true random number generator” at random.org and announced Friday afternoon.

The 5 different winners will each receive a mixed case of one dozen HALO bars.

Question: What kind of healthy “candy” alternatives do you serve your kids’ to avoid the sugar high/low and help them with continued focus to get through the school day? I’m all ears. I need more brain food snack options.

About the Author: Tired of feeling overwhelmed, Heather Sanders and her husband Jeff faithsized their family into a 960 square foot lake cabin in need of renovation. She writes about faith and simplifying your desires so you can be content right here and right now.

4282 Comments and 28 Replies

2801

Liz J On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:14 pm

I like Kid Clif bars for my kids. I find that my son’s attitude is better with higher protein snacks. There is only 3 grams of protein in these but I like them for a little sweet tooth pick me up in the middle of the afternoon!

2802

Melanie On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:14 pm

Some cold watermelon. But they’re only both eat it if we’re outside, spitting seeds, and in our swim suits

Stacy On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:14 pm

Erin S. On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:14 pm

I am a Nutella fan, so we enjoy Nutella on whole wheat crackers as a tasty, sweet snack in the afternoons, but after reading this article, wow, I am gonna need to try these HALO bars

2805

Prairierose On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:15 pm

Colbyjack Cheese and crackers

2806

Tara On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:16 pm

My boys ages 8 and 11 love the Z bars by Clif if we have to be on the go. At home we often have sliced apples with naturally sugar-free almond or peanut butter for dipping. I also throw some frozen fruit, orange juice and vanilla yogurt in the blender for a quick smoothie. They love pineapple with banana!

2807

amy On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:16 pm

I like to give them a small bowl of raw mixed nuts that they can munch on throughout the school day.

Question how many carbs in one bar? My oldest is a type 1 diabetic and I am always looking for low carbs, healthy good tasting snack for him.

2809

Crystal C On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:16 pm

We snack on a lot of fruit and pirates booty. I would love to try these new bars they look great!

2810

Krystin On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:16 pm

I like fruit leather! It’s a good way for me to get fruit into my diet

2811

Rachel On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:17 pm

We like the soy and flaxseed chips from Trader Joes, yogurt and fruit “popsicles” are a huge hit generally, vanilla yogurt, bananas dipped lightly in chocolate and rolled in nuts and frozen are a hit but generally more for dessert, dried fruit…cherries and blueberries are the winners for my daughter. Larabars are really good too!

2812

Shelly On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:17 pm

Fruit, fruit and more fruit!

2813

Cheryl On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:17 pm

Kids are all grown up, but they love fresh fruit, especially watermelon, trail mix, low-fat string cheese, apples & peanut butter, and frozen grapes. We have a Pampered Chef ice shaver and used that with frozen fruit to make icy desserts.

2814

Kay O. On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:18 pm

Fresh fruit and nuts work for us.
Looking forward to trying out those HALO bars.

Hmmm…The kids end up having way too many Quaker chewy granola bars during the school year, since they’re so cheap in their Costco case. It’s something I’m not proud of, because they DON’T have protein I’d like them to. String cheese is another favorite, but my oldest now refuses them, as they’re warm by snack time. (My kids attend public school.)

I’m looking forward to reading all the answers, and I will be looking for the Halo bars, too.

2816

Allison On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:19 pm

I love to feed the kids a fruit salad with pineapple, grapes, strawberries or whatever I have on hand for a health snack!

Please do not kid with this…. If in fact what you say is true, and these are yummilicious, you will have forever gained credence with me. My diet trick/treat is s’mores. Treat because I love them and trick because they involved several steps and a cleanup, so I really need to be committed to the treat. This way, I can get my s’mores and not feel so bad.

My mom used to work at my aunt’s health food store when I was growing up, and instead of candy, I had Tiger’s Milk bars. My son first tried one several years ago and it’s been a favorite of his ever since. http://www.tigersmilk.com/

2823

Kathi On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:23 pm

we love parmesan popcorn and you can even make your own microwave popcorn with a brown paper bag, a little oil and salt. Easy, bajezzy……sprinkle with parmesan cheese. great, delicious snack and good fiber as well..!!!

Trader Joe’s frozen mango chunks, frozen go-gurts (takes 5 minutes to eat frozen instead of the usual 30 seconds unfrozen), and apples with peanut butter. If I put a few chocolate sprinkles on top of the apples my kids think they are getting a real treat!

2826

Melissa On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:25 pm

I’ve eaten probars before while hiking and it is my favorite meal replacement
there are some other bars i keep on hand, but unfortunately i cannot for the life of me remember the brand name! if I remember I’ll definitely post – i’ve also eaten lunabars and mojo bars in the past….now a days i go after fruit and cut veggies.

2828

RhondaTM7 On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:26 pm

I make a trail-mix.

2829

Linda On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:26 pm

No new ideas as these have been mentioned already…but our favorites are fruit and nuts, or crackers and cheese.

2830

kt_whittington On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:26 pm

We love popcorn! We make it ourselves (not the microwave stuff) and experiment with different toppings like parmesan cheese and garlic salt. We make trail mix, dried fruit and smoothies too. The kids new favorite smoothie flavor is peanut butter banana.

2831

Lisa On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:26 pm

I don’t think I have anything new to add to everyone’s wonderful suggestions. =) I just want to try these!

2832

Andrea Ruse On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:26 pm

I enjoy a homemade mixture of raisins, peanuts, dried cranberries, and a few dark chocolate chips. I have no children but will serve this in the future

2833

LauraAng On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:28 pm

Reduced fat wheat thins with either salsa or lite laughing cow triangles are a BIG hit in my house. I also do really quick turkey wraps – whole wheat tortilla, thin spread of 1/3 less fat cream cheese down the middle, and some deli turkey. Smoothies – some kind of frozen fruit (usually strawberries, bananas, or blueberries, or a mix of some/all), non-sweetened almond milk, fresh spinach, and oatmeal or peanut butter (natural). Make sure you process the oatmeal first so you end up with a smooth texture – well, my kids won’t eat it if I don’t! Sometimes I’m still amazed when my kids eat my meager offering of just a slice of wheat bread with a thin spread of butter, but they both (so far) seem to still enjoy it.

Fresh fruit – nature’s best snack food. We always keep lots of fruit on hand and it is what I tell the kids to grab when they are hungry between meals. I don’t worry about them spoiling their dinner because if they do, they are full of healthy stuff.

These are all combinations of nuts and dates blended in the food processor and rolled into balls. Even my sceptical, processed food loving husband loves these.

2846

Mary R On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:33 pm

My 13 yr. old son is a type 1 diabetic. I am now trying to eat heathier and switch to all organic foods. For snacks he loves Annie’s Homegrown organic fruit snacks and cheddar snack mix . Also try Late July organic ranch corn chips and mini peanut butter crackers. All made without preservatives, pesticides and no artificial anything!

breabella On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:33 pm

Christina564 On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:34 pm

I keep blueberries, fresh and dried, always available for my granddaughters.

2850

Stephanie S. On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:34 pm

My kids like the fruition bars by the same company which are date-based for their sugar. I also do apple slices with peanut butter and sometimes honey.

2851

Amanda On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:34 pm

Anything with nuts…both my boys 3 &7 love nuts….

2852

PatP On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:35 pm

I’m all about fresh fruit, especially this time of year: Ranier cherries, blueberries, peaches, strawberries. In the winter we’ve got bananas, apples and oranges to fall back on. I like to put out hummus, too, in the winter with veggie slices and baked pita chips.

I stopped buying cereal! The kids do no good with cereal in their tummies in the morning. Instead, we make scrambled eggs (your recipe with American cheese!) or french toast.
I also buy the sprouted grain bread for extra protein. The kids don’t even notice.

They would love these HALO bars. They love the HALO games on the xbox.

2854

Michelle Touchton On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:35 pm

My three year old loves “trail mix,” but not the traditional version with nuts and raisins. We make our own with whatever we have in the pantry (i.e. mini marshmallows, Annie’s Bunny’s, Cheerios, etc.).

2855

D On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:36 pm

I don’t have kids, so I don’t feed them anything.
However, I do provide myself nuts as snacks…the cocoa dusted almonds are good, and I really like honey peanuts. I also like half an english muffin with jelly. Popco chips are my favorite filler snack.
Snickers is my favorite pick-me-up satisfying snack…if it wasn’t for the fat & calories I would have one daily.

LARABARS!!!! They are all-natural, with minimal ingredients, and they really taste like dessert!

2857

Kristyn G On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:36 pm

our 3yr old loves greek yogurt

2858

Sarah K On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:36 pm

We like banana chips. Sweet and crunchy!

2859

Peggy On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:36 pm

Grahams with Nutella or bananas w/peanut butter and mini choc chips!

2860

See Nikki Cook On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:37 pm

I love making choc chip cookies with truvia/splenda using oat flour/almond flour…they have eaten these for so long they forget how sugary sweet the originals are.

Fruit leathers are always great

2861

Jenn On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:37 pm

My daughter loves applies dipped in natural peanut butter and raw honey. She also loves chocolate, and on those days indulges in a few semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1/4 cup raw almonds….maybe not the best snack, but much better than a Kit-Kat.

2862

Susan On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:38 pm

I make mini banana bread muffins with a few chocolate chips thrown into each. Then, I freeze them and the kids love them frozen. They also love veggie bootie.
My husband loves the meal replacement bars, as does my daughter. It would be nice to have something for the whole family and would love to taste test them all!

2863

James P On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:39 pm

Cheese and Crackers

2864

ERIN QUINN ROBISON On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:39 pm

I make my own granola bars/protein bars……yep. I’m the crazy food-Nazi mom you have all read about. LOL

2865

AmyL On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:40 pm

This time of year, lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Come winter, more homemade granola bars, crackers and cheese, celery with peanut butter and raisins, etc.

2866

Teslaca On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:42 pm

Smoothies made with mostly vegetable juices and some fruit, bananas, homemade fruit leather, fruit puree popsicles, dried apples, trail mix made with a small amount of chocolate chips in with nuts and dried cranberries. Lara bars are a favorite too. They’re just fruit and nuts and natural flavors – nothing else, no sweeteners, preservatives, etc. and come in great flavors like cherry pie.

2867

Cheryl On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:43 pm

Fruit dipped in yogurt tip.. Its so good and tasty.. Or chocolate dipped bananas!

This Mom reads all of the labels carefully and shares the healthy snacks she feeds her son. All of the snacks are kid tested by her son! If they don’t make it past him, they don’t make it onto the site.

2872

Rhi On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:44 pm

String Cheese, Yogurt, Fruit & Crackers, Veggies

2873

heather e On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:44 pm

I live across the street from a Trader Joe’s, so the majority of my food comes from there. My two kids really enjoy the fruit snacks ( very low in sugar, vegan, etc), fruit leather, apple banana sauce pouches, yougert sticks and cereal bars.

2874

DonnaLee On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:45 pm

We stick with fruits and vegetables which still remain a big hit around our house.

2875

Sandi On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:45 pm

If you’re going with pre-packaged, we like the Fiber One bars/brownies. These HALO things sound better, though. At least until I go look up the price for these…

2876

Lori P. in NM On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:46 pm

I make homemade chewy granola, but them into bars, and wrap them in plastic wrap for a quick, healthy snack.

2877

Jennifer B On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:46 pm

My kids are not huge on sweets (which makes me wonder sometimes if they are actually MY children), so they snack on cheese and crackers and lots of fresh veggies with dip.

2878

deb c On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:46 pm

My son, now 16, has loved Mojo bars for several years. He really seems to need the protein punch they deliver!

2879

Brent P. in NM On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:46 pm

We make our own trail mix.

2880

marjatta On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:47 pm

Lots of fresh fruits and veggies, just naked.

2881

Lillian On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:47 pm

Fruit! Oranges are a favorite but it’s great now that peaches and plums are in season! I also love making fresh fruit smoothies with plain yogurt, cut up fruit and a little bit of splenda or stevia!

Julie On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:48 pm

montanaranchgirl On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:48 pm

Kate J On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:48 pm

We have all kinds of prepackaged, “nutritious” type bars (whatever’s on sale and not empty-calories) for on-the-go, but at home it is our large variety of cold cereals that my husband insists on taking up a whole kitchen cabinet for… The kids will always have a bowl of cereal after school.

2888

Deana On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:49 pm

I mostly buy the fruit honestly. I tell them it is God’s candy. Sometimes I will make them a friut dip made from greek yougurt and Honey. It is hard to keep their hands off of snacks full of stuff they don’t need.I try my best though, and just don’t buy the junk!

2889

terilynn On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:49 pm

Grapes. More than any other fruit my kids look forward to crisp cold grapes.

2890

Joan M. On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:50 pm

Granny Smith apples with smoked gouda cheese. Delicious!

2891

Andrea On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:50 pm

Rosa On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:51 pm

I love freeze-dried fruit, but it gets expensive (better if purchased in bulk from restaurant supply places).
I’m also a big fan of hummus (and pita, and pretzels, and tortillas, and chips, and veggies) as a mid-day snack.

2894

Heather C. On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:52 pm

Fruits, granola and nutri grain bars!

2895

Sara On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:52 pm

Almonds and raisins or yogurt- always happy with these!

2896

Kate On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:53 pm

got lucky.. my kiddo is a pretty healthy eater – loves fruit and is thrilled beyond words when I turn him loose at the market salad bar. He’s some kind of martian!

2897

llynn On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:53 pm

I am so stuck on what to give my kids, too! They are 2 & 4 and although I’ve tried since they were tiny to introduce them to all kinds of different foods, they are horribly picky. So, we tend to eat lots of all-natural fruit roll-ups, the typical cheese crackers, and splenda-sweetened fruit. They’re bored & I need new solutions! Although if these are truly yummy I might not share…..!

2899

Megan On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:54 pm

some nuts with a few m&m’s thrown in.

2900

Steph On Wednesday, July 6 at 4:54 pm

We make Almond Joy “Fudge” that my kids absolutely love! You mix equal parts of coconut oil, and cocoa powder, then add honey to taste. Pour that mixture in a pie tin, or cake pan covered with tin foil, then sprinkle on raw almonds, and unsweetened coconut flakes an freeze. It’s so simple,and delicious! Although coconut oil can be a bit pricey, it’s definitely worth it considering the health benefits when compared with other oils.